Foot massager



June 5', 1962 J. D. DAUGHERTY FOOT MASSAGER Filed July 13. 1960 Robe/fJ/ a/ch Arm 3,037,500 FOOT MASSAGER Jack D. Daugherty, 850 N. Gary Ave.,Tulsa, Okla. Filed July 13, 1960, Ser. No. 42,620 4 Claims. (Cl. 128-57)The present invention relates to foot massagers, more particularly forhome use and for operation by movement of the foot of the user.

It is an object of the present invention to provide foot massagersadapted to conform to the shape of the foot without collapsing.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of footmassagers that will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy tooperate, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention Will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a foot massager according to thepresent invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section of the device of FIGURE 1, taken onthe axis thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the device in use;and

FIGURE 4 is a reduced view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing a modifiedform of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown a footmassager comprising a body 1 of integral molded construction and of anelastic deformable material such as rubber or the like. Body 1 has acircular end portion 3 at each end thereof, the end portions 3 being cutoff flat in planes perpendicular to the axis of the device and havingcylindrical outer contours 5 coaxial with the device.

Body 1 includes a reduced intermediate portion 7 of an external diameterless than the diameter of either end portion 3. Intermediate portion 7is joined to end portion 3 by integral tapered portions 9 and 11 oneadjacent and integral with each end portion 3. Intermediate portion 7has a cylindrical outer contour and tapered portions 9 and 11 haveconical outer contours, the tapered portion being inclined to the axisof body 1 at a lesser angle than is the outer contour of tapered portion11. For example, the angles of inclination to the axis of body 1 ofportions 9 and 11 may be, say, 30 and 45, respectively. This differentangulation of tapered portions 9 and 11 is for the purpose ofaccommodating the arch or instep adjacent portion 1 1, as distinguishedfrom the outer side of thefoot adjacent tapered portion 9.

A very important feature of the present invention is the provision ofrigid circular members secured to each end portion 3 and having an outercircular contour adja cent and coaxial with cylindrical outer contoursof end portions 3. In the illustrated embodiment, these members areprovided by circular rings 13 embedded in the elastic deformablematerial of body 1 in the position shown in FIGURE 2, that is, a littlein from the ends of end portions 3 and a little in from outer contours 5and molded in the material of end portions 3 with no portions of rings13 exposed. Rings 13 are of a rigid material, preferably metal such assteel or the like.

An axial bore 15 extends entirely through body 1 States Patent 0 fromend to end thereof. In the embodiment of FIG- URES 2 and 3, bore 15 hascylindrical side walls 17, so that the radial thickness of 'body 1 isgreatest adjacent end portions 3 and least adjacent intermediate portion7. In the embodiment of FIGURE 4, however, the bore has a configurationsimilar to the outer contour of the body of the massager. In FIGURE 4,the bore includes enlarged end portions 19 and a reduced intermediateportion 21. In FIGURE 4, the radial thickness of body 1 is approximatelythe same throughout.

The outer surfaces of intermediate portions 7 and tapered portions 9 and11 of both embodiments of the present invention are provided with amultiplicity of projections 23 molded integrally in the material of body1 and extending outwardly therefrom. Projections 23 are preferablyrounded for comfort. The purpose of these projections is to give anintensive local massaging action to the foot in a manner well known inthe massaging art, and also in a device such as the present inventionwhich is propelled by the foot of the user, to increase the frictionalcontact between the device and the foot of the user.

The operation of the device will now be apparent.

The massager of the present invention is placed on a firm horizontalsupport such as a floor and the user places his foot, with shoe removed,on the device in the position shown in FIGURE 3. The user then rolls thedevice back and forth along the support by movement of his foot whilepressing down firmly on the device. It is in the course of this movementthat the device massages the foot of the user.

It will now be apparent that the combination of the rigid circularmembers such as rings 13 and the construction of the device from anelastic deformable material coact to produce a result never beforeobtainable in this art; for the elastic deformable nature of the deviceenables the device to conform to the shape of the foot and massage thefoot in a desirably complete manner, while at the same time the rigidcircular members retain the shape of the end portions of the device andprevent the device from collapsing in use but permit the device toconform to the shape of the foot. Moreover, the central bore through thedevice also coacts with this unique combination in that it renders thedevice more flexible yet does not impair the eflicacy of the rigidcircular members. For a more rigid device, the embodiment of FIGURES 2and 3 is preferable; while for a more flexible device, the embodiment ofFIGURE 4 is preferable. In either case, however, regardless of thedegree of flexibility imparted to the device by the bore, the endportions 3 remain circular thanks to the rigid circular members such asrings 13, with the result that the device rolls freely and easily on thefloor despite the fact that it is relatively quite flexible at regionswhere that flexibility is desirable.

vAccordingly, it will be obvious that all of the initially recitedobjects of the present invention have been achieved.

It is to be understood that the present invention is to be accorded arange of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance over theprior art.

What is claimed is:

1. A foot massager comprising a unitary body of elastic deformablematerial having a pair of circular end portions 3 freely rollable on asupporting surface and an intermediate portion of a diameter less thanthe diameter of the end portions and an axial bore therethroughconcentric with the end portions, and a rigid ring embedded in thematerial of each end portion concentric therewith and surrounding an endof the bore.

2. A massager as claimed in claim 1, the bore being cylindrical throughits length.

3. A massager as claimed in claim 1, the bore having end portions ofrelatively large diameter and an inter- 10 mediate portion of relativelysmall diameter.

4. A massager as claimed in claim 1, the intermediate portion beingjoined to the end portions by a pair of oppositely tapered portions, anda plurality of elastic deformable fingers on and extending outward ofthe inter- 5 mediate and tapered portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,481,038 Stephenson Ian. 15, 1924 1,962,971 Schipper June 12, 19342,369,544 Dolan Feb. 13, 1945

